I know the photo is so big it’s probably hanging over into the right sidebar. But I don’t care, LOL! I wanted to share a big photo of all this Snap goodness.

If you’d like to see a closer look at anything, please let me know :)

I’m going to use all of this for my Project Life in 2013. Seeing the colors in person has convinced me that it’s perfect and I made the right choice. It’s vibrant but not overly bright, a great mix of everyday colors that I know will look great with all my random photos, receipts, memorabilia, and journaling.

I’ve got a busy day working and full weekend. I can’t wait until I have some “me” time to just sit down and go through every stinkin’ sheet of this. Yummmmmmm!

Yesterday I inquired with Memory Works home office about when we could expect to get the Sn@p 6×8 albums in stock. Since Friday, I’ve had everything from the Sn@p! line EXCEPT the albums available on MY SITE. Here is the response I got, which they passed on from Simple Stories:

{SN@P! BINDER UPDATE}
From Simple Stories –

We wanted to inform our valued customers and retailers that unfortunately, upon our initial shipments we have found some quality issues in a batch of our albums and we are currently working on resolving the issue as soon as possible.

Please know that quality products are our highest priority, as we want only the best product represented for our stores, customers and Simple Stories. We are conducting quality checks on all our albums and once this is done we will resume shipping albums to our retailers.

We know you’re anticipating these new beautiful, colorful binders and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. We appreciate your support for our Simple Stories and SN@P! products – it gives us great pride to help play a role in documenting your important memories. A role we take very seriously – we thank you for your understanding and patience in this matter.

Thank you,
The Simple Stories Team

So it’s disappointing to have to wait longer but I’d rather wait and have a good quality product. It seems like these quality issues are happening in our industry lately – I wonder why?

Well, bummer!

Last Friday when all the other Sn@p! items appeared on my MW site, I went ahead and ordered most of it . . . except the albums and protectors. I have a big box of Sn@p goodness due to arrive today or tomorrow. I’ll post photos when it gets here!!

As for the Sn@p! albums, I don’t mind waiting a bit but I really hope I have at least 1 red one in time to start my first attempt at a DECEMBER DAILY. {{{Fingers crossed!}}} I’m using the Simple Stories “Sn@p!” line (with a WRMK 12×12 album and protectors) for my first recent attempt at Project Life/Project 365. At least I’ll have that stuff well in advance so I can get organized.

To my customers, I’m very sorry for the delay. I hope you’ll come back and order the albums through me when they become available :) Make sure you’re subscribed to my blog for updates. As soon as I have any news on the arrival of the Sn@p albums, I’ll post about it and you’ll get the news right away in your e-mail!

If you placed a pre-order, please go to my website (http://erika.memory-works.com) and place your order. I will get an automatic e-mail and will immediately approve your order since you’ve already paid. All your Sn@p-py goodness will ship straight to you from our home office in Utah within 1-2 business days. Thanks!

I just ordered almost the entire line. I’ll post pics when it gets here next week.

This video made by Simple Stories to show off their new “Sn@p!” line is super cute. The fun music will have your toes tappin’. If you aren’t already planning to buy this entire line, watch out! This may just convert you over to the dark side … and make sure to watch ’til the end. There is a very special and funny person* having a good time ;)

Simple Stories has a HUGE new collection coming out in October 2012. It’s amazingly fun and ~ I’m totally serial, it’s FEE-YOU-JUS! So grab your beverage of choice, make yourself comfy, and get ready to scroll!!

I’m putting ALLLLL of the sure-to-be-popular “Sn@p!” collections by SIMPLE STORIES in one place so you can see it all together … and decide which pieces you “need”. Of if you’re like me, this is going to put into perspective how much money we need to put aside to buy, well, most if not all of the “Sn@p!” collections. Yeah, it’s kinda’ scary :P

As always, I’ll be selling the entire “Sn@p!” line as a MEMORY WORKS CONSULTANT. And here . . . drumroll please . . . is the “Sn@p!” line in its entirety:

*ETA 10/01/12: When I originally posted the prices here, they were taken from the wholesale catalog and reflected retail prices ending in “.99″. Now that the items are listed on my Memory Works website, I see that MW rounded the prices up a penny to end in “.00″ and I’ve updated them here accordingly – a minor change but I wanted to explain the edits I made to this blog entry. Thanks!

Without further adieu, here are pictures of the … SN@P! CORE COLLECTION … that I just listed above.

See what I mean? There’s A LOT! And that’s only the first of THREE “Sn@p!” collections arriving in October 2012.

* I noticed that 2838 above is mislabeled. It says “Brown Dot/Stripe” but should be “Grey Dot/Stripe”.

Soooo … those are all 3 of the new Sn@p! collections that are coming your way in October 2012. See what I mean? It’s a HUGE line!

I was trying to think how to differentiate the 3 collections in my mind and here is what I came up with:

Sn@p! “Core” Collection: 6×8 album album and all the accessories
Sn@p! “Life” Collection: 12×12/divided protector scrapping; what Simple Stories lines traditionally contain
Sn@p! “Color Vibe” Collection: 6×6 and 12×12 papers in basic colors and patterns to support the other 2 lines

I’m so in love with this line and hope that you are too! I’ll be taking pre-orders; details on how to place your pre-order will be in another post.

What do you think of “Sn@p!”?

ETA 10/01/12: Okay, I updated a few other things above so that now this blog entry matches the descriptions and prices of what’s actually on my Memory Works shopping site. And here are 2 things that are exclusive to Memory Works consultants like me:

American Crafts Coordinating Cardstock Pack, {7} sheets of textured 12×12 cardstock pack in colors to match the “Sn@p!” line $3.75

Wow, what a great way to start the day. Opened my e-mail and saw the consultant alert that Simple Stories (my favorite scrapbooking line EVER!) is releasing another new line soon … EEE! And not only that, it’s going to be another one of my favorites of all their lines so far (this release makes lucky 13).

Oh, what was that? Did you say “Quit jabbering and show us some pictures, mama”? Alright already! Here ya’ go …

*All images courtesy of the amazing and inspiring SIMPLE STORIES BLOG. Go there by 4/13/12 and leave a comment on THIS entry for a chance to win THE ENTIRE COLLECTION of Simple Stories “Summer Fresh.” None of that “Tweet, link, and Facebook us” nonsense. Just a straightforward “leave a comment and you might win.” Fabs.

As always, if you plan to purchase anything from this line, I would be honored if you’d do so through my Memory Works WEBSITE. If you subscribe to my blog (just enter your e-mail address there at the upper right), you’ll get an e-mail every time I post … including when I post that “Summer Fresh” is available ~ it’s expected later this month!

Then you can haul your tookie over to my website and place an order. Once payment has cleared, it will ship straight to you within 1-2 business days. And you’re gonna’ want this one right quick … summer is just around the corner :)

OMG ~ I am loving all those Designer Cardstocks! Actually, hate to say but I’ll have to buy this entire collection. It coordinates perfectly with the original “Life Documented” line and I still have some of it … hollah! And just like “Life Documented,” the new line “Year.o.Graphy” is going to be perfect for Project 365/Project Life type scrapbooking, don’t you think?

Yes, you can buy Simple Stories “Year.o.Graphy” from online retailers … but why wouldn’t you order it straight from the friendly MEMORY WORKS CONSULTANT right here in front of you?

So now that I’ve explained all about the Simple Stories lines by MEMORY WORKS and teased you a bit in my LAST ENTRY, it’s time to talk about what’s next … a new line, two revamped lines, and PRE-ORDERS on all three!

Note: The price on the “Life Documented” kit did go from $16.99 to $20.99, due to the 2 additional designer cardstocks and 2 additional sticker sheets. So a $4 increase but the additional items are worth about $8 … not bad.

Note: The price on the “ele.ment.ary” kit did go from $16.99 to $20.99, due to the 2 additional designer cardstocks and 2 additional sticker sheets. So a $4 increase but the additional items are worth about $8.

Now that you’ve seen the new “Destinations” kit and the revamped “Life Documented” and “ele.ment.ary” kits, now it’s time to talk pre-orders. The word I’m getting from Home Office is that Destinations and Life Documented will be available in late February/early March, and ele.ment.ary some time in March. If you place a pre-order now, please understand that I can’t promise when these items will be available. But when they ARE available, I’ll be posting here on my blog to let you know (so please Subscribe to my blog, if you don’t already). If you pay for a pre-order, I’ll e-mail you when the time comes to place your actual order. Sound good?

Here is how the pre-orders will work:

I’ll collect and process payments until the release date(s). When the kits and additional items become available, I’ll e-mail you with instructions on what to do then.

{Which will be to log into my Memory Works WEBSITE, place the pre-paid for items in your shopping cart, enter your shipping address, and submit your order. I will automatically be notified that your order has been placed and, instead of having to wait for your payment to be received, I’ll be able to approve your order for processing immediately … assuming your payment has been received and processed already}.

1. Item(s) requested and cost
2. Shipping address
3. Total due including items, tax*, and shipping/handling**
4. Payment method – check, money order, or Paypal
~ I prefer Paypal, and will e-mail a Paypal invoice to you ASAP
~ If paying by check or money order, I’ll e-mail you back with my address. Please be aware that I can’t approve your order until the check/MO have been received and cleared.

* Sales tax amount is based on the tax rate for the address you’re shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.

** Please see THIS post for information on Memory Works shipping/handling information and costs.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns :) If you know of anyone who plans to order Simple Stories “Destinations”, “ele.ment.ary,” or “Life Documented,” please send them my way!

And the kiwi green WRMK 12×12 D-RING ALBUM ($30.00)
It comes with (10) regular 12×12 page protectors
******** I HAVE (1) ALBUM IN STOCK ******** ETA 1/11/11: Still available.

I also have (4) PRISM CARDSTOCK PACKS for $3.75 each ETA 1/11/11: 3 still available.
They have 7 sheets of 7 different colors which match Life Documented

HERE is a link to my website with all the Simple Stories and accessories, include the “Life Documented” and “ele.ment.ary” lines.

Speaking of Simple Stories “ele.ment.ary” I still have some of that in stock, too … (3) Collection Packs, (3) Designer Cardstock Packs, and (2) matching cardstock packs. ETA 1/11/11: 2 of each still available

If you order from my website, Memory Works shipping rates will apply. If you order from me (what I have in stock, shown above), I will Flat Rate ship super quick and split the shipping cost with you (I’m actually losing money but I want to sell these babies! So a great deal for you!)

Even if you don’t do Project 365 per se, “Life Documented” can easily be adapted to Photo a Week, Photo a Month, a regular family album, or whatever you like. It’s THE most versatile scrapbooking line I’ve ever seen and the colors/design are gorgeous. You have to see it in person :)

Give me a shout out if you’re interested or have any questions. Leave a comment below or e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. First come, first served :)

I went to a crop with friends last Saturday and had a blast. I took my laptop, little Epson Picturemate PRINTER, and all my SIMPLE STORIES stuff so I could try and get caught up with my PROJECT 365. I’ve been seriously lagging, gurl … mmm hmmm! I’ve continued to take photos every day (well, I thought I had, ha) but I hadn’t scrapped or journaled anything since (gulp) early February.

At the crop, I spent the better part of 7 hours just choosing, editing, and printing 10 weeks worth of photos … yep, 70 photos! Yike, that was intense. As I went along, I realized that I hadn’t been taking an actual “photo a day” like I thought I had. There were definitely 7+ photos per week but some days I had none, other days I had 10, kwim? So printing out my photos took WAY more time than it should have, because I had to first print out photos that had for each actual date, then try to find “filler” pics that weren’t day/date-specific to fill in the blanks with.

I thought about just switching my project from “photo a day” to “7 photos per week” but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Yet in a weird way, I hated the “fibbing” that I had to do in order to have a photo to print for each day. Isn’t that psycho weird? I know. I can’t help it. I also hated that it took so much extra time and effort … It made something that should’ve been fun into a chore, a hassle, and that’s SO not what I want this project to be.

So I came away from that little nightmare experience recommitted to taking, literally, a photo per day. I put a Post It note on my kitchen cupboard that I’ll see every day to remind me. I definitely have no shortage of photo subjects, I just get so busy, I forget to take the photo sometimes. My photo today was of all the (non-perishable) stuff that was still sitting on the kitchen counter from my Costco trip yesterday. I HAYTE putting Costo groceries away. They’re even worse than regular groceries. Can I get an “amen”?!?!?

That might seem a silly thing to take a photo of, and pre-Project 365, I never would have taken that photo. But I think it will be a fun thing to look back on in years to come … “The things we used to buy at Costco and how mom hated putting them away so much, they would stay on the counter for a day or two.” Cuz that’s real life around here, folks! And that’s what my Project 365 is all about.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any completed pages to share. Since I was SO far behind, I decided the best way to get caught up was to use a “one step at a time” approach. Instead of printing the photos for a week, choosing the papers, embellishing, and journaling, I got ALL the photos printed and put in the page protector slots (or at least an approximation of where they will go). Then I chose the Simple Stories paper/strip/cards I would use as the base for each open slot. And that’s as far as I got.

Now I need to embellish and journal 10 weeks worth and I’ll be caught up. Well, let me rephrase that: I’ll be caught up through April 11, 2010. And then I’ll be only a week ~ no, make that two ~ behind, LOL! Wish me luck that I can get caught up by this weekend … that’s the goal.

If you’re doing Project 365 this year, how’s it going for you? Please tell me you’re not in the same dire straits as I am! And if you’re not doing Project 365, doesn’t my post make you happy that you’re not?!?!? Yeah, that’s me, a cautionary tale for Project 365.

The monthly online crop is going on at Scrap Sisters Studio message board. It started today at 8am and goes through Sunday at midnight. Members have already posted 8 challenges and there may be more. I’m actually working on an April monthly challenge from our Challenges board. It’s a sketch challenge, and I’m using this layout to get myself jump-started on a vacation album from our trip to Phoenix last month. Feels SO good to be scrapbooking again! I also have an all-day crop with friends next Saturday when I hope to get caught up on my Project 365, which is so far behind it’s not even freakin’ funny.

So for this vacation album, I broke out some Old School shizzle … Scenic Route … Yeah, baby! I’m so sad they’re out of business ~ they were one of my favorite scrapbooking companies ~ but at least my SR stash is going to a good cause … a vacation album that will get looked at a lot :)

Hope you’re having a scrappy weekend! We always welcome new members at Scrap Sisters Studio (“The nicest place in the internet”), so e-mail me if you’d like to join us for the crop, or just to chat any ol’ time: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.

As I told you about HERE, I had a Scrapbook Open House on Saturday. My friend who holds a monthly crop for several friends in her development’s clubhouse was kind enough to let me display all my SIMPLE STORIES merch and invite all my crop buddies and customers to come check it out.

The good news is: There were 6 of us at the crop for most of the day and I got to chat and have fun with my friends. Several customers stopped by and I was able to show them how Simple Stories works, along with some new MEMORY WORKS products I had in stock.

The bad, well okay, decent news: I sold a “moderate” amount of stuff, LOL! It wasn’t gangbusters like I had hoped, but I did sell enough to make me happy I’d done it. I think the best part was that, even for the customers who didn’t buy anything, I was able to show Simple Stories to them and every single customer seemed interested. Maybe it wasn’t in their budget for now, but hopefully it will be in the future.

Thanks for cheering me on. I know you were with me in spirit. I did have a fun day, and made some progress on my Project 365 album. I took my laptop and little Epson printer so I could try to get caught up. For my photos, I chose, edited, and printed them right there at the crop and then scrapped them (with the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit and WRMK pocket page protectors). I didn’t do any journaling at the crop ‘cuz when I do, I tend to make mistakes. So now I’m only 1 week behind in photos and 2 weeks behind in journaling. Hey, if you knew all the stuff going on in my personal life right now, you’d be impressed, I swear! LOL :)

Overall, a fun and worthwhile day. Hope you had a scrap happy weekend, too.

The SIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS went on sale Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9am MST … and I ordered mine 1/15/10 at 9:01 MST :) I know, I know, I lagged for a whole minute! Here is what I ordered:

I received my package of goodies exactly one week later (the following Friday). Usually I get MW orders within 4-5 days but, understandably, it took longer this time because they were swamped with orders. That weekend, I set about getting started with my Simple Stories kit, which I’m using to complete my PROJECT 365 for 2010.

The kit is so detailed and nice-looking, that you can definitely “keep it simple” and use nothing but what comes in the kit, by cutting the cardstock elements apart, printing out and using the digital elements, etc. and just slipping them right into the page protector slots. Adding your photos and journaling would be the rest of the process, and you’d be DUNZO! Whoo hoo, love the simplicity and quickness of that.

But after seeing Simple Stories page samples from the Memory Works design team and guest designer BRENDA HURD, I decided to go a little more elaborate with mine. I really liked how they added flowers, ribbon, stamping, and other embellishments to dress it up and have a little fun with it.

So I went digging through my stash and began gathering things that I could use. I found lots of matching flowers and ribbons (Why, yes, I DO know that I have a ribbon issue! I’m on Step 7 of 12. I’ve humbly asked God to remove this shortcoming. I’m waiting to hear back) …

I decided to use one of the patterned, double-sided cardstock sheets to open my Project 365 album, with the title page/front page using one side, and then turning the page to an Introduction page on the left. {It has a bunch of personal info on it and with the nasty spammers I get on the blog, I can’t share the whole thing here, sorry … }. Here’s the bottom right of the Intro page, where I used a file tab sticker and alpha letters from the SS kit, and some light green glitter chipboard letters I had (thanks SSS SECRET SANTA!).

I printed out my photos and started popping them into the slots, along with strips, embellishment, and journaling cards from the kit. I also used one of the transparencies here, to give special honor to the photo of receiving my long-awaited Simple Stories shipment!

On the first page, I used the January month card. There’s a card for every month, which I love.

I kept the cover sheet from the kit and slipped it in a page protector, for when I take my Project 365 album {which will be my demo album} to Memory Works parties and crops.

I’m not sure why I took a photo of my WRMK album. I think because I’m in love with it and want to marry it …

I got all my P365 photos printed up to that point, which was the end of Week 3, and got them in the page protectors where I liked them. Some of the photos didn’t fit effortlessly into the slotted pages so rather than fight or force, I decided to make a front and back 12×12 layout using some of the Prism cardstock as a background.

At that point, I had a better feel for the colors and style of the kit, and went shopping in my stash again for things I could use to dress it up. I found chipboard numbers, journaling items, metal frames, and all kinds of bling. Hmmm … I’m getting so much stuff, I need a container of some kind to hold them on my desk. Shouldn’t be a problem, as I’m the Queen of Rubbermaid storage containers, LOL.

So that’s how things went on my first Simple Stories outing. Obviously, now that I’ve got the basic layout of my pages in place, it’s time to USE some of that fine stashness I’ve gathered.

I’ve never done Project 365 and I’ve never scrapbooked this way, with the divided page protectors. This is going to be a fun and growing experience for me and my scrapbooking, and I’m really looking forward to it.

As you probably know by now (LOL!), I’m a consultant for MEMORY WORKS, and SIMPLE STORIESis their hot new product (the very 1st product of their own!). It’s been very popular with scrappers doing PROJECT 365, or those who just want to get some fast scrapping done … while keeping it cute and stylish :) I have an online friend who wants to use this kit to get a quick scrapbook done for her 2009 family album, as she was busy with kids and craziness, and didn’t get many of her photos scrapped.

Anyway, I placed this order ~ which was #1 of 2 ~ the second that Simple Stories products went live on my Memory Works website last Friday (1-15-10). Memory Works said to expect a longer shipping time than usual because this was so popular and they have a small staff. Usually my orders ship to me within 1 business day; they said to allow 4-7 business days for Simple Stories, and that was accurate since it shipped on Day 5 and arrived here on Day 7.

As you can see, I ordered my own stuff and a bunch of extras to sell at my next crop and to friends. (I’m already holding a few things, wink). There’s my gorgeous Kiwi green album by We R Memory Keepers, the Simple Stories kits, coordinating cardstock packs, and 2 kinds of page protector packs.

My 2nd order is due here Monday … more of the same. I decided to get extras with the profits I made from the first round of selling (it sold VERY well!). Like they say, a good businesswoman reinvests her profits in her business :) I heard … and it may just be a rumor … that this could be the only run of this version of “Life Documented” kits. I mean, Memory Works will probably issue future Simple Stories kits along these same lines that coordinate and everything, but I like THIS particular kit so much, I wanted to get lots of extras while I could. You know, once they’re gone, they’re gone, kind of a thang.

I’ll be playing with Simple Stories all weekend, getting my Project 365 all caught up (Weeks 1 through 3). I’ll post close-ups of the kit contents themselves, probably on Monday because I have a very busy weekend.

This question was posed by Carole aka carole2k at my message board home, SCRAP SISTERS STUDIO, and boy was it fun to hear THE ANSWERS. Here was mine:
====
Books ~ Have to check the book aisle every time I’m in Target or Walmart. One of my favorite chillaxin’ things to do is go to Barnes and Noble, grab a Starbucks, and stroll the aisles. I usually find about 20 books I’d like to buy but have to limit it to 1 (or sometimes none, depending on my budget ). I love books!

Even if I get a Kindle or other e-reader, I’ll still need my bookstore days…It’s like being in a scrapbook store. I love the smell, the atmosphere, being with other people who love books (or scrap supplies, lol), and being able to hold things in my hands.
====

Then I posted a picture to prove it:

I organized this bookshelf two weekends ago and it felt really good. I go through it about once a year to get rid of some books and alphabetize the ones I’ve added over time. Not only do I buy a book or two a month on my “book days,” but sometimes people leave their old books up at our post office and they’re free for the taking. Our own little version of PAPERBACK SWAP, but with no shipping charges and instant gratification, LOL! I leave my unwanted books up there, too.

There must be a local woman with the same taste in books as me because I often find titles I’ve been wanting to read … I walk up and there they are! I hope she’s gotten some of my books in return :) For instance, I’ve been wanting to read FIREFLY LANE but it’s a big novel (496 pages) and costs $15 new so I keep passing on it. But I got it for free from the post office the other day, yeah!

Turns out, this is a terrific thing to cover in my PROJECT 365 album, so one or two photos of my books will be my picture(s) of the day. {If you have more than one photo you’d like to share for a day, just print 2 photos in 2×3 or 4 photos on a contact sheet}.

So, I was brave enough to post about my other big weakness. Now it’s your turn … Do tell!

For all the details on this kit, please scroll down through my blog and see the past 7 updates. Or you can do a Search on Simple Stories and the entries will come up ~ thanks :)

Since my last update, there have been 2 new posts on the Simple Stories blog:

ALMOST HERE! (01-08-10) ~ More photos of what the kit looks like in action

RELEASE DATE (01-12-10) ~ Release date moved from January 18 to January 15

Just wanted to let you know that the planned release date has been changed from Monday, January 18, 2010 … to this Friday, January 15! For those of you who have placed pre-orders through me, make sure you go to my website ASAP on Friday and order the items you’ve pre-paid for. I don’t want you to miss out … these are going to be VERY popular kits.

The time of release is 9am MST, so figure out what time that means for your time zone if you want to be one of the first, LOL! It’ll be 8am my time (PST) and I’m going to order the kit, album, and page protectors for myself and then some extras to have in stock and sell at crops. I can’t wait to get the goods so I can start scrapping my Project 365!

Okay, I know those of you who could care less about Simple Stories are getting tired of these dang posts, so I’ll keep it short, LOL! Those who ARE interested, please post any questions here in Comments or e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.

The excitement over the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS continues to build. Since my last update, there have been 2 more posts on the Simple Stories BLOG:

Q&A (1-4-10) ~ Some FAQs are answeredMore Elements (1-6-10) ~ Digital elements are revealed & see who the special guest designer will be

Speaking of digital elements, that’s what my TEASE was about earlier. The detailed info is in the “More Elements” post I linked to above, but here are the basics:

You print these on your choice of cardstock:

Then punch them out with this:

Fiskars 2″ Round and Round Scallop Punch

Or this:

Fiskars 2″ Round and Round Circle Punch

You print these…

… on sticker labels like this:

Avery 8167

As coincidence would have it, Memory Works currently carries both of the squeeze punches. If you would like to order either/both now, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com or place your order on my WEBSITE. They’re each $17.50 and I have a feeling once the kit goes on sale, a lot of people will be ordering these so I can’t guarantee how long they’ll stay in stock.

I’m ordering the scalloped one for myself tomorrow and will be scouting out those Avery labels at Staples next time I’m there :)

Man, when I saw those scallop date tags, I literally gasped! I LURVE circle date labels like that and the fact that they were scalloped on top of it just sent me over the moon. They remind me of JILLIBEAN SOUP who makes all those cute and fresh-looking journaling spots.

I think all the free digital downloads are going to be so fun to play with, personalize, and use the heck out of.

In other Simple Stories news …

The latest date given for release of the “Life Documented” kit is January 18, a mere 11 days away! This is also from the Simple Stories blog:
———The complete Simple Stories product line and Life Documented kit is estimated to arrive by January 18 – it may be a little earlier or a little later – but that’s our shipping estimate as of today. We will continue to keep you updated – and AS SOON as our products are available we will have them available for purchase. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope all goes well – that’s only 2 WEEKS away….woo hoo!!
———

One last piece of news I’d like to share is this: According to an e-mail conversation I had with the home office, depending on the interest level (that means buy a kit please so they’ll keep making them, LOL!), Memory Works plans to continue releasing Simple Stories kits. These would be in 3-month intervals and have different themes. I’m so stinkin’ excited. I hope the first kit does really, really well and it encourages them to keep making more.

So, if you’re interested in Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit and the accessories that go with it, please see:

HERE about being on my mailing listHERE for shipping information
and HERE to learn about placing a pre-order

I’ve already received several pre-orders, which means once the kit become available, waiting for payment verification isn’t going to hold these girls up from getting their kit, album, and/or page protectors ordered. Very exciting!

So keep those pre-orders coming…and don’t hesitate to post here or e-mail me with any questions :)

If you’re interested in purchasing the SIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS, I’m accepting pre-orders as of NOW :)

If you’re not familiar with Simple Stories, please scroll down and see my past entries on it.

Suffice to say, if you’re looking for a cool way to do Project 365 this year, or just want to get some quick scrapping done, Simple Stories may be for you. The response to this new product has been amazing ~ I think because it’s look is what so many of us consider to be “our style” and because it’s such a cool system ~ that I’m halfway afraid it’s going to sell out before I can get it to everyone who wants one.

Hence, PRE-ORDERS :) This way, I will have your payment already in hand by mid-January when the kit become available. Standby your e-mail though, because I’ll notify you when when to place your actual order!

Here is how it will work:

1. You decide which item(s) you want from the list below.
2. Add the appropriate tax for the city/county of the shipping address.
3. Add shipping/handling charges (see end of this post).
4. E-mail your request to me along with how you would like to pay (check, money order, or Paypal).

I’ll collect and process payments until the projected “Life Documented” availability of Mid-January. When the kit and items become available, I’ll e-mail you with instructions on what to do then.

{Which will be to log into my Memory Works website, place the pre-paid for items in your shopping cart, enter your shipping address, and submit your order. I will automatically be notified that your order has been placed and, instead of having to wait for your payment to be received, I’ll be able to approve your order for processing immediately … assuming your payment has been received and processed already}.

{But don’t worry about that part right now, LOL}.

Here are the items that will be available in mid-January
(to the best of my knowledge at this time…disclaimer done…check!):

Exactly what items come in the kit?
~ Please see the graphic above for specifics on the exact items you get in this kit.

What is the quality of the cardstock items?
~ I haven’t personally seen the kit, of course, but the Simple Stories blog states that “you’ll love the quality of this super-thick, heavy-weight cardstock!”

Are the cardstock items pre-cut?
~ No, they will come as a 12×12 sheet and you will cut them apart yourself. They are sized to fit perfectly within the pockets of the WRMK divided page protectors.

Will this kit allow me to scrapbook an entire year’s worth of photos or an entire Project 365?
~ This truly depends on how generously or sparingly your use the elements of the kit, and how many photos you include in your project. For example, if you’re doing a “year in review” type of album, the kit does include (12) Monthly Title Cards with a spot for journaling on the back (which would show on the next page in your album). Everything is double-sided, so it does “double duty” in your album. With all the additional elements and patterned paper provided, I would feel comfortable saying you could complete an entire “Year in Review” album with just this one “Life Documented” kit.

I’m doing Project 365 for 2010 and will be using this kit to complete it. I’m not 100% sure that I’ll be able to complete my entire project using only one of these kits. Again, it really depends on how I lay out my pages, how lightly or heavily I use the elements on each page, etc. From looking at other scrappers Project 365s from 2009, I think I’ll be able to do it with just one kit. The majority of Project 365 is filled with your photos … at least 7 slots per 2-page layout, right? Depending on what type of “pocket” protectors you use on any given layout, the use of the kit elements themselves is going to be pretty sparing.

But that’s just my own judgement … You do what you feel is right for you. If you feel safer ordering 2 kits right from the get-go, I would do that. If you have extras leftover at the end of your project, whatever it may be, you can certainly use these elements on regular scrapbook page layouts.
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We R Memory Keepers 12×12 Leather D-Ring albums:

Are the albums good quality and will they hold up to large projects?
~ I have several of these albums myself, that I use for School Days albums for my family members. These are albums that are very full and are looked at a lot, and I’ve been very pleased with the quality. The albums seem very strong and I haven’t had any problems, nor have I ever heard of scrappers being unhappy with WRMK albums’ quality.
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We R Memory Keepers pocket page protectors:

Are the pockets on the front, back, or both sides of the page protectors?
~ I was really curious about this, too, as I was trying to conceptualize how I was going to lay out my Project 365 album using “Life Documented” and WRMK pocket page protectors. So I bought a pack of the set with 2×12 vertical pocket, and (5) vertical and horizontal 4×6 pockets. The pockets themselves are on the front side of the protector only; the back side of the protector is smooth. Obviously, whatever you put in the pockets, the backside of that will show on the next page of your album (if that makes sense, LOL!). That’s why Simple Stories has everything double-sided, and you get double duty out of all the cardstock elements.

Before you decide what you want to order, THIS is a great post on the Simple Stories blog to look at closely. It has all the elements of the “Life Documented” kit in one place, and I think any other questions you have will be answered in that post.

So, as I said above, if you’d like to place a PRE-ORDER for the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit, or the We R Memory Keepers albums or Page Protectors, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include:

1. Item(s) requested and cost
2. Shipping address
3. Total due including items, tax*, and shipping/handling**
4. Payment method – check, money order, or Paypal
~ I strongly prefer Paypal, and will e-mail a Paypal invoice to you ASAP
~ If paying by check or money order, I’ll e-mail you back with my address

* Sales tax amount is based on the tax rate for the address you’re shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.

** Please see THIS post for information on Memory Works shipping/handling information and costs.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns :) If you know of anyone who plans to order Simple Stories “Life Documented,” send them my way!

~ Project 365 for 2010 started today. I took some photos after midnight of our little New Years celebration, and also some photos on our walk today so I have about 8 photos to choose from. I’m going to start a Word document journal of my photos each day, then when it’s time to journal for my P365 scrapbook, I’ll just print it out or transfer it over in handwriting.

I found THIS blog via 2 peas tonight and she gave some good insight about not stressing on this project. I don’t want it to be a stressful thing, so any tips like that, I love.

We started a separate Project 365 forum at SCRAP SISTERS STUDIO, so that’s cool to have one place to gather all our posts, info, and inspiration. Whoever thinks of it first will start a daily thread in the main Scrap Chat forum, then I’ll move it over to the P365 forum once everyone has had a chance to read it. We don’t want it to be out of sight, out of mind. I ended up starting the thread for today and was happy to see all the responses of the ladies participating. I also responded to the first daily thread on 2peas. I think staying involved in those daily threads will help keep my Project 365 mojo going.

~ I wish I hadn’t been laid up in bed not feeling well most of today. I have so many new scrappy things to show you from Christmas and I need to take photos of them! Instead of taking photos to share with you, I chose to watch 8 back episodes in a row of Million Dollar Listing that have been sitting in my Tivo for months. {Okay, Chad, you can “love” your dog, just don’t “LLLLOOOVVVVEEEE” your dog. Crap, man, get a life!}

Anyway, once I got my lard ass out of bed, then took the kids and dog out on a long walk, it was too dark to get good photos. I will try again tomorrow. I got the crop bags I wanted (eeee!), my Basic Grey “vintage” order came in, and I got to shop at an actual LSS for the first time in probably 5 months. I’ll give you a review of that store and here’s a hint: It’s the “largest scrapbook store in California.” Ha! You’re jealous, huh? That’s okay, I would be jealous of me too.

~ 2 peas is having log-in issues and I’m getting mighty sick of it. I have to re-log in every time I go to post something. Grrrr. Maybe they will get it fixed on Monday, when everyone goes back to their normal life in the business world. If not, I may have to go to their home office in Wisconsin and bang their heads together like Larry and Curly.

~ I set a deadline to finish my scrapbook room MAKEOVER by 12-31-09 and *SHOCKING* I did not meet my deadline. Wow, that really surprises me, that I started a scrappy project and didn’t finish it when I said I would (insert eye roll here). Now that I’m feeling better, I’m hoping to finish it by my new deadline of Sunday, 1-3-10.

I would really love to have an organized space and clean desk to be able to get some major scrapping done in 2010, because my “number of layouts completed” for 2009 was pretty dismal. I don’t keep a tally but I would guess it’s in the 40-50 page range and that just bites. I would also like a clean slate to start Project 365 with for 2010 and feel like I can sit down on a weekly basis to insert my photos and journaling in the P365 album.

Did you have any scrappy deadlines set in 2009 or projects you were determined to finish that didn’t get done? C’mon, help a sister out! Make me feel like less of a loser, would ya?

The response to this new line and kit by MEMORY WORKS has been overwhelming! Which, as a Memory Works consultant, excites me to no end. It feels good when so many people have such a positive response to a product that the company YOU work for sells.

So I’ve decided to do regular update blog posts here about it. Here is UPDATE #1 and UPDATE #2 in case you missed them. They don’t have “Update” in the title because I didn’t realize when I wrote them that Simple Stories/Life Documented would be such a big honkin’ deal, LOL!

I’m also going to start sending out e-mail updates to anyone who would like to be on my address list. If you would like to be on my list and receive updates about Simple Stories “Life Documented”, please e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. {I would prefer you didn’t leave your e-mail address in my blog Comments, as then your personal e-mail is out there for everyone on the web to see and you will be spammed to within an inch of your life. Believe me.}

I’ve been away from the computer for the last several days, so I haven’t been able to share all the Life Documented sneak peeks they’ve been posting on the Simple Stories BLOG, but here are some links so you can get all caught up:

Let me scooch back a little and start at the beginning :) Memory Works is a direct sales scrapbooking company that has been around for 7 years. It is run by Amber and Kevin Crowell (husband and wife) from Utah, USA. Over the years, they have built a wonderful and successful business with consultants from all over the country selling the “latest and greatest” scrapbooking products direct to the customer. Until now, Memory Works has sold products made by other companies, such a My Minds Eye, Basic Grey, Pink Paislee, and Bo Bunny.

Beginning in January 2010, Memory Works will manufacture and sell their OWN product line called Simple Stories. The first release from this line is called “Life Documented” and it consists of paper (not digital*) scrapbooking elements, and it works perfectly with the We R Memory Keepers 12×12 D-ring albums and regular/pocket page protectors that Memory Works already carries. *The kit itself is paper but there will be a free digital element to it also.

WHEN will Simple Stories “Life Documented” items be available to purchase?

The We R Memory Keepers 12×12 D-ring albums and page protector packs are currently for sale through any Memory Works consultant. I notice that as of now, the Celery green color is out of stock, but other colors are available. My assumption is that the Celery color will be in stock when the kits are.

Speaking of which, the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kits are projected to be available for purchase in mid-January. MW does not believe in promising something until they have it in their hands, so they will not take orders until they actually have the product and know they can fulfill the orders. (My VERY OWN OPINION is that Memory Works trying to avoid a fiasco like Becky Higgins/Creating Keepsakes had with their Project 365 kits last year at this time….man, that got ugly!).

So, if you would like to order the albums and page protectors now, you can, or you can wait until the kit comes in and get everything at once. Totally up to you. Either way, I hope you will consider ordering from me (yeah, I have no shame…) and you would do so HERE. Instructions are HERE.

HOW does the Life Documented kit work and would it be a good fit for Project 365, Project 52, and the like?

The concept of Simple Stories is just that: SIMPLE. Take photos, get them in an album, embellish, journal, DONE. Sure, we scrapbookers are creative types, and we love to make more detailed and complicated layouts a lot of the time. But what if you’re super busy like me and find you don’t have the time to scrapbook that you used to? What if you took a big trip with lots of photos and are now daunted by the prospect of getting all those fab photos into one album, and getting it done, like, sometime this century?

Maybe your solution is Simple Stories. Take your 4×6 photos (no cropping necessary), slip them into divided page protectors like THESE from We R Memory Keepers, slip in some embellishment by way of nicely designed accents made from heavy cardstock, jot down some journaling on a predesigned card, and you’re done.

If you’re planning to do Project 365 in 2010 (or Project 52, Project 12, etc), you can see this will be perfect for these projects. The page protectors come in many different configurations, with different sized pockets, vertical and horizontal 4×6 photo slots, etc. so you can personalize it exactly how you like. Many of you have already purchased the PROJECT LIFE kit by Becky Higgins and that is awesome. Rock on, Project Life sistas! She gives you a lot of product for the price and her clean, simple style is very appealing. However, if the style of her kit doesn’t appeal to you, or you did her Project 365 last year and maybe want to try something with a different layout and look this year, check out Life Documented :)

WHERE can you order Simple Stories “Life Documented”?

You can order from any Memory Works Consultant. If she has her own website, you can order directly from there. If she doesn’t, you can tell the consultant what you want and she will place the order for you. My website is HERE. I take check and money order, but prefer Paypal as you will get your order quicker (since I don’t have to wait for payment in the mail before I can place your order).

No matter which consultant you order from, and where she and you are located, your order will ship from Memory Works in Utah. So it is NOT necessary to find a “consultant near you”, kwim?

Do you think a lot of your friends might like “Life Documented” or other Memory Works products? Want to earn a 20% commission on everything you sell and/or buy for yourself? Consider becoming a Memory Works CONSULTANT {starts as low as $20 sign-up!}. If you do sign up, I would love the free product credit I get if you put in my consultant number (wink).

WHY should I wait for Life Documented kit, when Project 365 starts tomorrow?

I have asked myself that same question, LOL! I’m going to do Project 365 for the first time in 2010 (HERE is where I agonized over the decision). Of course, I’m anxious to get started and afraid of falling behind. Waiting for 2 weeks into the new year before I can order Life Documented seems counterintuitive, right?

But I figure that once I receive “Life Documented”, it’s so super easy, I can get caught up in one scrapping session. Starting tomorrow on January 1, I’ll begin taking my daily photo and jotting some quick journaling about it in my dayplanner, notebook, or a Word document. {This is a practice I’ll keep up throughout the year}. Then when I get the kit, I’ll print out my 2 or 3 weeks of photos and pop them into the page protectors, copy over my journaling onto the pre-done journaling cards, add a few embellishments and accents, and I’m caught up. Piece a cake, I tell ya. So I’m not worried about it…

I like the “Life Documented” kit so much more than Becky’s that it’ll be worth the wait. Here are some pix so you can see how different they are:

A peek of PROJECT LIFE

A peek of LIFE DOCUMENTED

What I’ve been hearing on the message boards is that one kit or the other is “your style,” so it’s nice that there are 2 options we can all choose from, don’t you think? Yay, OPTIONS! We LOVE options!

ETA: I’ve been getting inquires from outside of the States, so I want to clarify that question. Standard shipping within the Continental US is $8.45 for up to an $87.99 purchase. For higher charges, there is also Rush shipping and shipping to APO/FPO, Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories. As of now, Memory Works does NOT ship outside of the US but, if you’re willing to pay the actual shipping costs, I can have any Memory Works products shipped to me in California, and I will ship them to you :)

So, I hope I’ve answered your questions about Simple Stories “Life Documented” by Memory Works. If I haven’t, please leave me a comment and I’ll answer in my next Update.

If you would like updates by e-mail, please e-mail me as explained above. And one last thing…

HAPPY SCRAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Have a safe, fun, and fabulous night :) Our plan includes pizza, movies, a fire in the woodstove, board games, and staying home where it’s safe and warm. I know, just livin’ The Vida Loca over here, ain’t we? {I do plan to break out the Dirty Martinis at some point, so if you see me on the scrapbook message boards tonight and I’m not making much sense, I’m probably PUI…Posting Under the Influence…ha!}

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